Some condominium owners near the future St. Paul Saints ballpark in downtown St. Paul stand to lose their private parking to development space for the new stadium, one of the expected environmental impacts of the project.

Saints ballpark to take bite out of St. Paul parking

Condominium owners in the 55-unit Market House building at 289 E. Fifth St. in St. Paul may soon lose their parking spaces to the new Saints ballpark. Parking is one of the issues addressed in a new environmental assessment worksheet for the project. (STAFF PHOTO: BILL KLOTZ)

Condo owners could face bind, broker says

Some condominium owners near the future St. Paul Saints ballpark in downtown St. Paul stand to lose their private parking to development space for the new stadium, one of the expected environmental impacts of the project.

Under current plans, the ballpark at Fifth and Broadway streets in the city’s Lowertown area would remove about 320 spaces, including private stalls for residents of the 55-unit Market House Condominiums at 289 E. Fifth St. across from the ballpark site.

That would be another blow to condo owners who have taken a big hit during the market downturn, and it could lead to foreclosures and lower property values, according to Bud Kleppe, a real estate broker who has sold units in the Market House.

“They have already been getting beat up pretty badly as it is and this adds insult to injury,” said Kleppe, who doesn’t own a Market House condo, but said he felt obligated to speak out as a broker.

Parking is among the issues addressed in a new environmental document for the $54 million stadium project, which is scheduled to begin this year and wrap up in time for the 2015 baseball season.

The environmental assessment worksheet also looks at potential project impacts on everything from mussels in the Mississippi River to historic properties near the future ballpark.

The 44-page worksheet says the 320 parking spaces that will be removed by project include “on- and off-street parking, both public and contract spaces.”

Kleppe, an owner of St. Paul-based The Kleppe Group, first raised his concerns about Market House parking in an “open letter” to the City Council and mayor posted on his blog.

Joe Campbell, communications director for Mayor Chris Coleman, said he can’t get into specifics about any parking negotiations with the condo owners. But he said the mayor is aware of the situation.

Discussions are under way with multiple groups “see what resolutions are available,” Campbell said.

Officials from the city’s Parks and Recreation and Planning and Economic Development departments declined to comment. Saints executive vice president Tom Whaley didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.

The environmental assessment worksheet cites a study from St. Paul Smart Trips, a nonprofit provider of transportation consulting services, which says 6,842 off-street parking spaces are available to the public within six blocks of the proposed ballpark.

In his letter to the City Council and mayor, Kleppe urged the council set aside a sliver of land near the future ballpark site as replacement parking for the residents.

At least one Market House resident appears to be taking it all in stride.

“We knew we were going to lose the parking when we got the ballpark. … We have to adjust to it and life goes on,” resident Sharon Peterson said. “But we will adjust. There’s a lot of parking around and it won’t be as close. But we will have parking.”

But Kleppe said no other downtown condo building would be affected as much as the Market House. Those residents have no options for 24-hour parking within a reasonable distance, he said.

Units in the building are valued in the $80,000 to $120,000 range, but some were selling for as much as $300,000 during the market’s peak, Kleppe said.

He said the parking situation will make it that much more difficult to sell units in an already tough market, and that some owners may simply walk away from the property if no buyers are available.

“It’s really going to take any positive that was coming out of the stadium and turn it into a monstrous negative,” Kleppe said.

The city of St. Paul is taking public comments on the environmental assessment worksheet through April 3. A public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 20 at the Great Hall, 180 East Fifth St. in St. Paul.

One comment

I’m glad that Bud Kleppe is being vocal about the plight of the Markethouse residents. 55 parking spaces is NOTHING, and the city should do right by this group of Lowertown devotees. Isn’t the city interested in property values? This building was the first loft development in downtown in 1983. Mayor Coleman should have it on his list of “let’s do what’s right” in downtown development. There is plenty of room for the Saints stadium AND a small parking lot or area for these residents. It is petty and mean spirited to do otherwise.